Can opener



April 24. 1928. v v 1,667,360

J. 1'. SWEENEY CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 4, 1922 Patented Apr. 24,1928.

1,667,360 PATENTQOFFICB JOHN T. SWEENEY, 0E KINGSTON, NEW YORK;

can OPENER.

Application filed August 4, 1922. Serial No. 579,586.

My inventionrelates to tools, and more particularly to a tool essentially of the canopencr type embodying therein a piercing point adapted to be forced through the CQIP tral portion of the top of a substantially Circular can, and a metal-cutting blade adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of the shank supporting this point so as to adapt the tool for use upon cans of different dimensions.

The general type of tools above referred to is old and well known in this art, it having been a common practice in such tools, whether they be of the type having a circular carrier for the piercing point and the blade, or of a radially extending shank carrying the blade. to provide aclamp screw i whereby the blade could be firmly set at a fixed radius with relation to the pivot portion of the piercing point, a construction requiring considerable nicety in the piercing of the topof the can to prevent interference of the side wall of the blade. 1. a V

A tool embodying my invention is so constructed that the metal-cutting bladeis maintained in close juxtaposition to the side 7 wall of a can by a member engaging the outside of a can, thus avoiding any likelihood of the amming of the cutting blade against the Side of a can, irrespective of any eccen- ,tricity of the place atwhich the piercing point punctures the top of the can.

In a tool embodying my invention, the cutting blade will'be guided by the side Wall of the can and is free to move toward and from the center about which the shank rotates. The guide is so constructedas to be adapted for use with roundcans of different,

dian'ieters.

In a tool embodying my inventlon, the

parts are so formed as to permit the use of a hardened cutting blade held in a definite relation to the guide, although formed separately therefrom and of different metal stock. The manner of assembling the cutting blade in relation to the guide and-to the shank supporting both these parts, permits the utilization upon the: guide of a pry which may be effectively used as a crown bottle- 'cap remover, a portion of the cutting blade structure co-acting therewith and with the shank toprevent slippage of the blade and the guide with relation to the shaft, while the tool .is in use as a bottle-cap remover.

. 1 onnection with the parts of the tool can with the cutting guide for this blade when so used, and the blade being ofiset in relation to the centerof the bearing portion of the piercing point soas toininimize likelihood of a tilting of the tool while the top is being removed by means of movement of the cutting blade about the centerzdefined"by said piercing pointin the manner above referred to..

l The invention consist-sprimarily in a can opener embodying therein ashank, a piercing point having an angular portion carried bysaid. shank adjacent one end thereofiand a slide including therein a metal cutting blade, a guide member adjacent thereto and. projecting from said shankja. distance greater than said piercing point, and means carried by said slideand having" a free sliding fit with said shank, whereby said metal cutting blade anay be quicklybrought into a desired relation to the top of a can adjacent the edge thereof, and said guide willengage the outside of a can body closely adjacent said cutting blade, I said, slide being adapted In-the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, 1 provide a handle ahaving a shank '6 preferably rectangular in crosssection, one end of said shank havingriveted or otherwise secured thereto a piercing point 0 provided vwitha forwardly projecting por tion and a pivot portion 0 extending at rightangles to the shank b and the axis of the point 0. The pivot portion a is provided I with an enlarged shouldered port-ion o -bearing against the shank b to en'surethe desired rigidity of thevpoint c, the manners of connecting thepoint'to the shank beingsuch as ing from the slide on the same side of the shank as that upon which the piercing point 0 is positioned, and to'a greate-r extent. Pref erably the body of the slide is made of sheet n-ietal, the sides be'ng formed upwardly and the shank E) in a manner to provide opp sitely disposed slideways ee having a tree slidinglittherewith. No means are provided for locking this slide with relation to the shank.

Intermediate the slfdeways 6-6 and upon the same side thereof as the cutting blade (Z and the piercing point 0 and closely adjacent the former, is a guide member f extending laterally of the slide and of the shank b, the opopsite sides or wings of this guide member being projected forwardly so as toleave as space substantially centrally of th s guideinember and form two separated bearing points '7' and f adapted to engage the side wall of a can and permit the guide to adjust itself to cans of different diameters.

The blade (Z is positioned slightly in ad-' vance of the bearing points 7 and f so that when the tool 1s in use, ample clearance ZS "provided for the lap joint connecting the top and the body of the can between said cutting blade and said guide, irrespective of the size of the can.

The cutting blade (Z is substantially triangular in shape,has both edges sharpened so that the tool may be moved in either direction, and projects at a slight angle to tor the parts are assembled. lVhile it might be possible to mount the slide upon the shank 5 before assembling the'shank with relation to the handle a, it is not desirable to harden the material of the slide, particularly as such hardening may be avoided by adopt ing a speoiafl construction and arrangement of parts to *lacilitate the assembling of the cutting 'blade (Z with relation to said slide, which construction will also adapt the use of the slide for removing crown bottle caps from bottles.

Tosecure the above conditions, I employ 'acutting blade (Z haying tor-med integrally therewith a plate ({Z adapted to be posjs the guide f by a tongue bent at substantially right an 'les to the guide toward the handle (hand the angular extension (Z The slide is of suiiicient length to ensure the engagement of the fulcrum end (Z with the top eta bottle cap when the pry is engaged with the fluted edge of said cap, the point of engagement of the extension (P with the top oi the cap being substantially diametrically opposite the point of engagement with the pry g therewith.

Riveted to the underside of the shank I),

or on the same side thereof the piercing point 0 1s a cutting blade h such as is employed in the ordinary can opener, the major portion of which extends laterally of the shank Z) so that when the blade is being used in removing the top from a can, the blade It will rest fiatwise upon the top of a can and avoid any possible tilting of the shank Z).

Formed integrally with the blade h is a reduced extension 2' having a head i turned at right angles thereto and projection beyond the extension toward the point 0 and the handle a to an extent 'to permit this head to be used as a pry for removing the tops of cans of the friction top type. This extension, however, may be dispensed with, as may the cutting blade h, although I pre -tl'er to embody such a blade in the tool not only because of its steadying effect when using the cutting blade (Z, but since it perinits the'tool to be used for removing tops from angularly formed cans.

In use, the above embodiment of my invention operates substantially as follows In opening a circular can, the piercing pointe which projects beyond the bladeh,

is forced through the top of a can substantia'lly centrally thereoft, an'dthe handle a uscd to turn the tool so as to bring the point 0' closely adjacent the under side of the top of a can and advance it forwardly until the pivot portion '0 is in a position where it can drop through the opening made by said point.

v The blade (Z is then brought to adjacent the edge of the top ofa canby a movement of the slide carrying this blade, and forced through the-top, theslight-inclination of Said blade having the effect of imparting movement to the slide to compensate for the movement in arc of the shank b. As the blade (Z is thus brought downwardly and Ill lull

lll') llil " It is immaterialwhether the can. top

the can at points sufficiently distant from each other to ensure a proper bearing of this guide upon the curved body 'of'the can, irrespective of the size of the can.

After the shank b is broughtto a suhstantially horizontal position, the shank b is w turned about the pivotfportion 0 ofthe piercing point c,'thus causing "the blade/l to cut the metal of thetop closely adj acent the rim of a can. I

1s pierced at the exact center thereof by the point 0, since the engagement of the bearing free Sliding movement points f, and f with the outside of the can, and the blade zlwith the top adjacent the body of the can on the inside thereof, will cause any radial movement of the slide carrying these parts which may be necessary to permit the free cutting action of said blade (Z. a

The location of the bearing points 7" and f upon opposite sides of said blade and their engagement with the can will prevent any substantial tilting action of the slide which will result in such binding thereof against the shank b as would interfere with this In fact, while the shank Z) turns about the pivot portion 0 of the point 0, the cutting blade (,Z is guided in its movement by the portionof the can positioned between same and the guide f.

The guiding of the movement of the blade (Z in the manner above referred to will not only obviate any binding of the blade against the body of a can by reason of the position- 7 ing the pivot portionfc eccentrically of the top of a. can, but will permit a complete 360 movement of the cuttmg'blade since toward the completion of this movement, the rim of the can will give sufficient support to the blade to compensate for any shifting in the position of the top of the can which is al most completely severed from the body of the can at this point.

hen a supplemental cutting blade h is embodied'in the tool, it will, when removing the top from a cylindrical can, bear upon this top and thus check any tendency for the shank 7) to rotate about a horizontal axis, the stem having a similar effect.

When it is desired to remove a bottle cap,

tlib pry g is inserted beneath the fluted rim of the cap and the extension (Z is brought upon the top of a cap at a substantially diametrically opposite point, and the handle (a forced downwardly. As a result, the plate 03' of thebladeis forced against the shank 7) and the slide adjacent the pry Q will be forced against the opposite side of the shank,

clamping means .of anynature being provided, and no clamping-action being developed in the operation of the cutter.

' Itis not my intention to limit the invei'iv tion to the precise details of construction shown in theaccon'ipanying drawings, it heingapparent that such may be varied without, departing from thespirit and scope of the invent on. I a V Having described the invention; what I c-laim'as new and desire to haveprotectcd by Letters Patent, is r 11A can. opener embodying theremj' a shank,- a piercing pointiprojecting forwardly of the end ofsaid shank and having a pivot portion'whereby said point is spaced away from said shank, anda'slide including therein a metal 'cutting blade, a guide member adjac ent thereto and projecting from said shank a distance greater than'said piercing point, and laterally of said shankfwith the opposite sides or wings thereof projected forwardly to form separated bearing points upon opposite sides of saidblade, whereby said slide will automatically adjust itself to cans of differentdiameters,and means carried bysaid slide and having a free sliding fit with saidshank, whereby said metal cutting blademay be quickly brought into desired relation to the top of a can adja cent theedge" thereof, and said guide will engagefthe outside of a can body closely adjac'ent said cutting blade, said slide being adapted to move freely toward and from said piercing point when removing the top from acan. I

2. A can opener embodying therein a shank,- a piercing point'projecting forwardly ofthe end of said shank and having pivot portion whereby sa1d point 13 spaced away from said shanlq'and a slide including therein a metal cutting blade projecting at a slight incline toward said piercing point, aguide member adjacent thereto and projecting from said shank a distance greater than saidward and from said piercing point when removing the top from a can.

3. A can opener, embodying therein a shank, a piercing point projecting forwardly of the end of said shank and having a pivot portion whereby said point is spaced away from said shank, and a slide including therein a metal cutting blade, projecting at a slight incline toward said piercing point, a guide member adjacent thereto and projecting from said shank a distance greater than said piercing point, and laterally of said shank with the opposite sides or wings thereof projected forwardly to form separated bearing points upon opposite sides of said blade, whereby said slide will automatically adjust itself to cans of different diameters, and means carried by said slide and having a free sliding fit with said shank, whereby said metal cutting blade may be quickly brought into a desired relation to the top of a can adjacent the edge thereof, and said guide will engage the outside of a can body closely adjacent said cutting blade, said slide being adapted to move freely toward and from said piercing point when removing the top from a can.

4t. A can opener embodying therein a shank, a piercing point projecting forwardly of the end of said shank and having a pivot portion whereby said point is spaced away from said shank, a slide having slideways upon opposite sides thereof engaging said shank, and a guide 1116111lJQ17-PYOj8CtlI1g away from said shank a distance greater than said piercing point, said slide having a slot therethrough, and a cutting blade comprising a plate having an angularly turned end adapted to pass through the slot in said slide, said plate being positioned between said slide and said shank, and said cutting blade being positioned between said guide and said piercing point, and spaced away from said guide, whereby said cutting blade may be quickly brought into a desired relation to the top of a can adjacent the edge thereof, and said guide will engage the outside of a can body closely adjacent said cutting blade, said slide being adapted to move freely toward and from said piercing point when removing the top from a can.

5. A can opener embodying therein a shank, a piercing point projecting forwardly of the end of said shank and having a pivot portion whereby said point is spaced away from said shank, a slide having slideways upon opposite sides thereof engaging said shank, and a guide member projecting away from said shank a distance greater than said piercing point, said guide member having laterally extended sides or wings projected toward said piercing point, whereby said slide will automatically adjust itself to cans of different diameter, said slide having a slot therethrough, and a cutting blade compris ing a plate having an angularly turned end adapted to pass through the slot in said slide, said plate being positioned between said slide and said shank, and said cutting blade being positioned between said guide and said piercing point, and spaced away from said guide, whereby said cutting blade may be quickly brought into a desired relation to the top a can adjacent the edge thereof, and said guide will engage the outside of a can body closely adjacent said cutting blade, said slide being adapted to move freely toward and from said piercing point when removing the top from a can.

6. A can opener embodying therein a shank, a piercing point projectingforwardly of the end of said shank and having a pivot portion whereby said point is spaced away from said shank, a slide including therein a metal cutting blade, a guide member adjacent thereto and projecting from said shank a distance greater than said piercing point, and means carried bysaid slide and having a free sliding fit with said shank, whereby said metal cutting blade may be quickly brought into a desired relation to the topv of a can adjacent the edge thereof, and said guide will engage the outside of a can body closely adjacent said cutting blade, said slide being adapted to move freely toward and from said piercing point when removing the top from a can, and a cutting blade carried by said shank adjacent said piercing point and extending to one side of said shank, whereby tilting of said shank is prevented by the engagement of said blade with the top of a can. a i

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 2nd day of August, 1922.

JOHN T. SNEENEY. 

